BOSTON -- Luka Doncic has played like a legit MVP candidate for the Dallas Mavericks.
Jayson Tatum of the Celtics and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks have looked and played the parts of legit All-Stars.
When you start to take a closer look at the top teams on the rise, there’s an undeniable youthfulness about them with many being led by players who are just a few years removed from high school.
Half of the NBA’s top 10 scorers this season are 25 or younger, led by Milwaukee’s 24-year-old reigning league MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
And the top rebounders?
Yup. Half of them are in the 25-and-under boat as well, with Antetokounmpo and Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis both ranked among the top three in rebounds per game.
And four of the league’s top eight assists leaders are also part of the 25-and-under youth movement with 20-year-old Doncic leading the pack.
While the NBA still has its veteran stalwarts such as LeBron James and James Harden proving they are firmly entrenched as elite talents in the NBA, don’t look now … the youngsters are coming!
Don’t miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Celtics-Warriors, which tips off Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live, and then Mike & Scal have the call of the game at 10:30 p.m. You can also stream the game through the MyTeams App.